Increasing trend: Several female suspects, along with a table of evidence, are presented on Monday during a press release on a drug trafficking network case at Customs Headquarters in Rawamangun, East Jakarta. -- Photo: Antara/Fakhri Hermansyah via The Jakarta Post/ANN
JAKARTA (Jakarta Post/ANN): The growing number of women involved in drug trafficking has raised alarms among rights groups, who warn that many are being exploited as couriers yet remain criminalised despite their vulnerable social and economic circumstances.
The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) reported that women accounted for around 10 percent of suspects in drug-related cases over the past three months.
During that period, authorities arrested 285 suspects in 172 trafficking cases uncovered through joint surveillance with the Customs and Excise Office at major entry points, including ports, airports and interprovincial routes.
Seized evidence included 300 grams of methamphetamine, 370 grams of marijuana, 6,000 ecstasy pills and various other illicit substances.
“Of the total suspects, 29 were women, most of them housewives, who had been deceived by syndicates into working as couriers between islands and provinces,” BNN head Gen. Marthinus Hukom said at a press conference earlier this week.
He revealed that some women were found smuggling drugs concealed in their vaginal cavities, methods he said illustrate how syndicates “take advantage of women’s physical and feminine traits” to avoid detection.
While the agency claimed that the women had voluntarily worked with traffickers in exchange for money, their involvement has stirred concern among rights advocates and officials.
“We are concerned that women are being exploited in drug distribution networks, often lured by economic promises,” said Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Arifatul Choiri Fauzi, who also attended the press briefing.
"It's even more heartbreaking when the involvement is voluntary, driven by economic necessity.”
She called for an “extraordinary approach” to these cases, one that is “fair, safe and gender-sensitive”.
Systemic exploitation
Although women’s involvement in the drug trade is not new, the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) notes that the trend is increasing and often reflects deeper, systemic exploitation.
“These women are frequently targeted by male traffickers, some of them foreigners, who lure them with sweet talk or false promises,” Komnas Perempuan commissioner Sundari Amir told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday, noting that many victims may have limited legal awareness or language skills, making them even more vulnerable.
She further criticized the criminal justice system for failing to account for the broader social and structural factors that drive women into trafficking roles.
While regulations exist, such as the 2017 Supreme Court guideline for gender-sensitive adjudication, enforcement remains weak, she said. Legal advocacy groups also echo this concern.
The Community Legal Aid Institute (LBHM), which provides defense to drug suspects, said women in drug networks are often relegated to low-level courier roles yet denied access to legal support.
“Female couriers, who are clearly victims of exploitation, rarely receive leniency or even consideration for rehabilitation if they are drug users themselves,” LBHM lawyer Awaludin Muzaki said. “Authorities focus on drug quantities rather than context, meaning the larger the seizure, the harsher the sentence, regardless of circumstance.”
The Indonesia Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) also criticized current drug policies for overlooking women’s vulnerabilities, arguing that the country’s punitive approach under the 2009 Narcotics Law fails to protect those most at risk.
"Reforming drug policies to acknowledge women’s vulnerabilities as a key factor in their involvement is crucial so that the legal system no longer punishes victims, but instead breaks the chain of exploitation driven by harsh and ineffective policies,” ICJR said in a statement on Tuesday.
In response to such criticism, BNN spokesperson Brig. Gen. Sulistyo Pudjo Hartono insisted that women involved in drug cases are not always innocent victims.
“While some may be deceived, many knowingly commit these crimes,” he told the Post on Thursday, adding that authorities would proceed with arrest if someone is caught with illegal substances.
Questions of coercion or manipulation would be evaluated during the judicial process, which lies beyond the agency’s investigative mandate, Pudjo continued. -- The Jakart Post/ANN
